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Katrina Kaif’s sister is now the face of this Indian beauty brand

Here’s everything you’ve wanted to know about Isabelle Kaif

While you may have only heard her name previously in passing, as Katrina Kaif's sister, Isabelle Kaif is now set to become a house hold name. Youngest of the Kaif sisters, she's now the face of Lakmé, alongside current ambassadors Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shraddha Kapoor. A theatre actor and co-founder of a theatre production company, she's also trained in direction with a focus on independent cinema. She first dabbled into movies with the 2014 Canadian film Dr Cabbie starring Kunal Nayyar. We spoke to the actor about her association with Lakmé, her beauty must-haves and how she feels about being in Mumbai. Here's what she had to say.

How did your association with Lakmé come about? I was here in Mumbai just visiting and happened to be doing some shoots when I heard Lakmé was looking for a new face. We invited them to come see me shoot and it just evolved from there.

What are you most excited about when it comes to your new venture? Being associated with such an iconic brand, one of the biggest brands in India, and just being able to be working with them and doing a campaign with them and being one of their faces is huge for me.

What was your first memory of using a beauty product? I am the youngest of quite a few sisters, so I used to love getting into their makeup drawers and trying it on and dressing up. I think that was my thing, playing with my sisters' makeup kits.

Give us a little bit of a background about yourself—who is Isabelle Kaif? I started off in dance. I started dancing at a very young age so I always kind of had that love for performing and it just sort of evolved from there.

Are you excited to join Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shraddha Kapoor? I'm very excited, I love Kareena Kapoor, I thinks she is an amazing star; Shraddha is also phenomenal, so to be included with them, it's just fabulous.

How different do you believe Bollywood will be from your previous acting experience? I've mostly done theatre. From theatre to film, it's such a big difference from performing for a live audience. As of now, doing commercials for Lakmé is such a different feel.

Are you looking at any Bollywood projects as of now? You know I've just landed here, just started with Lakmé which is such a big brand and my focus is really on my first campaign with them and my first Lakmé Fashion Week, I'm really excited about that.

What is the one beauty lesson you've learnt from Katrina? To always take your makeup off at the end of the day. No matter how tired you are, how long the day has been, clean your skin.

Between you and Katrina, who is the one to give in to food indulgences and who is more of a fitness lover? Indulgences would definitely be me; fitness lover would definitely be her. I think we can all see that!

What do you love most about living in Mumbai? I love the energy of the city, even if you're at home there is such a vibe, there's such an excitement to it. I love the energy!

How would you describe your beauty aesthetic? Simple.

What are your three go-to beauty products? My Lakmé sunscreen, it's an absolute must. The sun in India is very strong, you have to protect your face, girls. Lakmé ultimate kohl, because you know you just want that pop, do your thing, you're in a hurry, you put it on, it's perfect. And Lakmé Matte 9 to 5, because like I said, I do like to keep it simple, so to be able to apply it in the morning and have it last all day is just fab!

Which beauty products do you always travel with? A lip balm, a nice tinted moisturiser like Lakmé CC cream, so it covers everything but looks like you're wearing nothing and a good moisturiser.

And you prefer bright lips or nude lip? I prefer slightly brighter lips, because nude lips I feel sometimes take a lot of upkeep.

What's a beauty look you hope becomes a trend soon? A little more basic, I feel we've gotten very intense, with the extreme eye lashes, the extreme contouring. Maybe just bringing it back to a little more of your natural look.

What does your skincare routine look like? I like to keep it very simple—a good cleanser, toner and moisturiser. Basic is best.

What's the one beauty product you can't live without? A good lip balm—it's my favourite thing in the world.

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